
2025 So Far
Sometimes, WordPress logging me out is enough to put me off posting. Blame passwords, which I can’t remember, because I have different ones if WP logged me out or I’m trying to comment on someone else’s blog post. I hate passwords. I follow healthy passwording guidelines and use a different password in every instance. Then I can’t remember them.
The Attack
So much has happened. On New Year’s Eve, New Orleans was attacked. A man in a truck ran down people on Bourbon Street. He killed fifteen people. Terrorists are such cowards. The city was rattled, horrified, grieving. We’re now on edge as everyone’s preparing for the Super Bowl to arrive. When we should be rejoicing, we’re jittery. The city has leapt out of the “murder capital of the country” hole it dug itself into. Violence has dropped off the cliff. Murder rates are down 50% from two years ago. It’s not just statistics. The feel of the city is different. I no longer use my anti-theft bar on my car because car jackings aren’t an every hour occurrence. Then we get attacked.
The 2025 Blizzard
The city was still reeling when we had an epic snow storm. I’m not kidding. it wasn’t a little dusting of snow. New Orleans got ten inches of snow. Ten inches. It snowed all day. And kept snowing. It was beautiful and absolutely surreal. While California was burning, we tied the record for an 1894 snowfall. Everyone was suspended between that childlike “Snow!” reaction and unable to comprehend what was going on. Climate change in action in real time.
The Death
My uncle died. At 93 years old, it wasn’t unexpected, but death does not respect expectations. Us six cousins lost our dads at regrettably young ages. Hebron never had kids of his own. He was an uncle in a way that shames me as an aunt. For ten days, we prepared for his passing then grieved. Grieving included a wonderful celebration with videos and storytelling and hats galore. But death is death, and it wasn’t fun.
The Wins in 2025 So Far
My two greatest accomplishments in 2025 have been the rescue of a lizard in the guest bathroom—they rode in on the spider lilies and lived in the tub for ten days until I was able to trap them in a jar and release them to the same place where the spider lilies hung—and the rescue of a frog from the hot tub—it suckered onto the cedar wall and wouldn’t let me coax it onto a piece of cardboard then Tom flipped it onto the concrete—Ack!!!—but it hopped off, brain damaged, I’m sure, but alive.
Welcome to 2025.

Van
LOVE YOUR WRITING…LOVE YOu!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you! Love you too. ❤️
Donna
Sending a virtual hug, if you feel like you’d like one. Be Well, Ellen…
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Ah, thank you. Always appreciated. 🙏
Marie A Bailey
2025 so far has been hard for you, but I’m glad you were able to find some successes. My condolences on the death of your uncle. Yes, death is inevitable but I don’t think we have to like it, especially when it means no longer seeing someone we love.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you. Making us like death is such gaslighting, don’t you think. Mostly, it sucks. 🙂
Joanne Corey
Sympathies to you and your family on the death of your uncle. While you were blessed by his 93 years on earth, it’s still difficult to deal with his absence.
I’m sorry that New Orleans has suffered so much this year (although your snow photo is beautiful). Because I’m reading this after the fact, I’m grateful that the Super Bowl happened without major incident. I admit that I didn’t watch it. Football is not my thing…
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you for your sympathies, Joanne, both for Uncle Hebron and the city. The Super Bowl success has really helped heal community wounds. The game was lousy, unless you were a die hard Eagles fan. But the pre-game show with all New Orleans talent on Harry Connick’s welcome, “America the Beautiful” (though Daigle is from Lafayette), “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and Jon Batiste on the “National Anthem” was stunning.